Beef Research and Teaching Farm

Background

Located at the University of Missouri South Farm Research Center, the Beef Research and Teaching Farm is its largest facility. Established in 1934, South Farm was divided between the animal and dairy husbandry departments. In addition to the Beef Research and Teaching Farm, South Farm is also home to the Equine Teaching Farm, the Swine Research Complex, the Swine Pasture and Teaching Farm, and the Turf Center.

The Beef Farm has infrastructure capability to conduct pasture, forage and feedlot-focused research. The feedlot capacity (one-time) is approximately 600 head with individual intake measurement. In addition, the farm has a metabolism barn capable of housing up to 12 animals for intensive research (blood collection over time, digesta sampling, etc.) and a laboratory used for sample preparation. Pasture facilities include novel endophyte-based tall fescue base in approximately 80 percent of pastures. Cereal grains and warm-season annuals make up the remaining pasture base. One facility has 12 two-acre pastures for intensive grazing research. The beef farm has the capability of measuring forage growth on pastures and is also equipped with six large pens to accommodate cow-calf research. Also on the property is the Creed Barn, which is used for laboratory instruction.

Today, the beef herd has approximately 200 head of fall-calving and 200 head of spring-calving cows consisting primarily of Angus-Simmental breeding.

The Division of Animal Sciences is the only comprehensive beef program within the state that provides relevant research, teaching and outreach programs with emphasis on ruminant nutrition, forage production and grazing systems, genetics/animal breeding, reproductive management, meat science and production management.